diff --git a/openlp/core/ui/alertform.py b/openlp/core/ui/alertform.py
index fd4380700..96dc88dc5 100644
--- a/openlp/core/ui/alertform.py
+++ b/openlp/core/ui/alertform.py
@@ -99,4 +99,4 @@ class AlertForm(QtGui.QDialog):
         self.CancelButton.setText(self.trUtf8('Cancel'))
 
     def onDisplayClicked(self):
-        self.parent.mainDisplay.displayAlert(self.AlertEntryEditItem.text())
+        self.parent.mainDisplay.displayAlert(unicode(self.AlertEntryEditItem.text()))
diff --git a/openlp/core/ui/maindisplay.py b/openlp/core/ui/maindisplay.py
index 7a621a8ae..f63dd373d 100644
--- a/openlp/core/ui/maindisplay.py
+++ b/openlp/core/ui/maindisplay.py
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ class MainDisplay(DisplayWidget):
                 self.setVisible(True)
                 self.showFullScreen()
         self.frame = frame
+        print type(self.frame)
 
     def blankDisplay(self, blanked=True):
         if blanked:
@@ -234,8 +235,12 @@ class MainDisplay(DisplayWidget):
         ``text``
             display text
         """
+        log.debug(u'display alert called %s' % text)
         alertTab = self.parent.settingsForm.AlertsTab
-        alertframe = QtGui.QPixmap.fromImage(self.frame)
+        if isinstance(self.frame, QtGui.QImage):
+            alertframe = QtGui.QPixmap.fromImage(self.frame)
+        else:
+            alertframe = QtGui.QPixmap.fromImage(self.frame[u'main'])
         painter = QtGui.QPainter(alertframe)
         top = alertframe.rect().height() * 0.9
         painter.fillRect(
@@ -261,7 +266,10 @@ class MainDisplay(DisplayWidget):
 
     def timerEvent(self, event):
         if event.timerId() == self.timer_id:
-            self.display.setPixmap(QtGui.QPixmap.fromImage(self.frame))
+            if isinstance(self.frame, QtGui.QImage):
+                self.display.setPixmap(QtGui.QPixmap.fromImage(self.frame))
+            else:
+                self.display.setPixmap(QtGui.QPixmap.fromImage(self.frame[u'main']))
             self.killTimer(self.timer_id)
             self.timer_id = 0